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2021 HBH Holiday Guide: Beauty
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Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes with Caramelized Onions, the ultimate holiday side dish. These potatoes are creamy, cheesy, and seasoned simply for a potato casserole that everyone really loves. The thinly sliced potatoes melt into a creamy, cheesy sauce. The top brown up in the oven adding a bit of crunch. Together these creamy crunchy potatoes are so delicious. They’re simple to make and always a crowd favorite. Enjoy my most comforting fall scalloped potato recipe!
Ingredients
- Salted butter
- Yellow onion
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Dry white wine
- Garlic
- Chopped fresh thyme
- Heavy cream
- Whole milk
- Cayenne
- Shredded Guyere cheese
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Russet or Yukon gold potatoes
What you will need in the kitchen for this recipe:
- mandolin
- whisk
- large skillet
- large glass measuring cup
- foil
- mandolin
Monday potatoes in prep for Thanksgiving next week! Is everyone getting excited for the big feast? I talked about this yesterday, but it feels as though we’ve skipped over Thanksgiving and moved right on into Christmas.
I mean, to a point! I’m still here sharing out as many Thanksgiving recipes as possible before the 25th rolls around. And these potatoes will add another delicious item to our Thanksgiving menu.
What’s funny about these potatoes is that as simple as these are, they really took me a while to perfect. I’ve struggled with scalloped potatoes for the longest time. I just could never get them to cook all the way through.
After a few rounds of these I figured out the secret. A lower oven temperature, plenty of liquid, and lots of time in the oven.
So while these do take a while to make, the prep is simple, and the rest is mostly hands off.
Here are the details
Before I slice the potatoes, I always caramelize the onions. A lot of potato casseroles call for onion powder. But I wanted to add a little more of a fresh onion flavor that wasn’t over powering, but just right.
I love to use caramelized onions for an onion flavor that’s more mellow.
I caramelize them down in a bit of butter and add wine to help them caramelize a little faster. Then just a little fresh thyme, salt, and pepper.
While the onions are cooking, I mix the cream, milk, and the two types of cheese together. Most scalloped or au gratin recipes will call for you to cook the milk and cheese together on the stove, creating more of a cheese sauce.
I’ve found that the cheese sauce didn’t help the potatoes cook. It left me with a drier potato, and not in a delicious way.
So I skip cooking the sauce.
Slice the potatoes using a super sharp knife or a mandoline. Using a mandoline is ideal as you’ll get even slices and it’s much quicker too.
Layer the potatoes in a baking dish with the cream/milk/cheese mix and onions. I layer this up similar to a lasagna to ensure every potato gets evenly seasoned.
Once assembled, you bake
The baking time for these potatoes is long. I cook mine a full two + hours to ensure that the potatoes are really cooked and turn tender. I then remove the foil, add a little more cheese, and bake until the cheese is bubbling and browning on top.
It might seem simple, but that browned, golden top really adds another layer of deliciousness to the potatoes that makes everyone want more.
Serve these up warm with a little added fresh thyme for color.
I’m excited to have this recipe to share with not only you guys, but family and friends as well. I actually served them earlier in the month to my oldest brother Creighton. He said they’re probably one of his favorite potato dishes.
When you win over the brothers, all is good!
The next question is, what will you be pairing these cheesy potatoes with? The obvious answer for Thanksgiving is turkey. But come December, over here it will be my roasted beef tenderloin.
Looking for other easy Thanksgiving sides?? Here are my favorites:
Make Ahead Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Crispy Parmesan Thyme Sweet Potato Stacks
Sweet Potato Casserole with Sweet ‘n’ Savory Bacon Pecans
Lastly, if you make these Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes with Caramelized Onions, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes with Caramelized Onions
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 478 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/4 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 pinch cayenne
- 3/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 6 russet or yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. 2. Melt together the butter and onions in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 10 minutes. At this point, you'll want to add the wine and continue to cook another 5 minutes until the onions are deeply caramelized.3. Add the garlic and thyme, then season with salt and pepper. Cook another 2 minutes, then remove from the heat. 4. Butter a 9×13 inch casserole dish. In a large glass measuring cup, combine the cream, milk, a pinch of cayenne, salt, and pepper. Then add the Gruyere cheese. Pour 1/3 of the milk mix into the bottom of the baking dish. Layer in 1/3 of the potatoes, and 1/2 of the onions. Add another 1/3 milk mix, then 1/3 of the potatoes, and then the remaining onions. Add the remaining potatoes, then pour over the last of the remaining milk mix. Try to get the potatoes in an even layer. 5. Cover and bake 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours. Remove the foil and top with cheddar cheese. Bake another 20 minutes, until the cheese is golden and melty. Serve the dish warm, topped with fresh thyme.
Notes
To make Ahead: prepare and bake through step 5, but stop cooking after 2 hours. Let chill, then cover, and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. Before baking, bring the dish to room temperature, add the cheddar cheese, and bake another 20-30 minutes.
This post was originally published on November 15, 2021
So delicious, easy to make and very flavorful!!!
Hey Brooke,
Fantastic! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your comment, love to hear it turned out well for you!
Have the best weekend!
what do you think about adding blue cheese? If so, how much?
Hey Denise,
I don’t think it’s necessary in this recipe, but you could certainly add some if you wish:)
I hope you love this recipe!
Hi T! Qq – your post says stack like lasagna but your video and photos show stacked side by side more so. Could you clarify the right method?
Hi Kay,
The recipe will work either way, however you want to stack them is just fine:)
I hope you love this dish, please let me know if you give it a try!
Hi, I accidentally shredded all my cheeses into one big bowl before I read the instructions. Think I’m okay just splitting it. Half of the mix for the milk mixture and half to spread? Thanks!
Hey Carlee,
Totally, that is just fine for you to do! I hope you love this recipe! Have a great Thanksgiving!
Everyone loves this side dish at Thanksgiving. I have made the last few years and always a hit!
Hey Julia,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your thoughts, so happy it worked for you!
Have a great Thanksgiving!
This recipe was fantastic. The caramelized onions were so good in this and everyone loved it. It was easy to throw together and the recipe was straightforward as always!
I had no problems with curdling like previous commenters, and I’m wondering if they used a milk with a lower fat content than whole milk, because that could cause curdling. I would suggest anyone reading the comments who is nervous about that happening follow the directions and ingredients! Also you could start the potatoes in a cold oven so the milk mixture would gradually heat up.
Definitely make this recipe though! It’s so good.
Hey Ashley,
Happy Monday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, I’m so glad it was a winner!
Could I make this up the night before and then cook it he next day? Or would the potatoes turn brown?
Hi Mariah,
That would be just fine for you to do! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
I just made these today and they were wonderful. My husband and I both loved them. Thank you so much for sharing this. It’s so good
Hi Tina,
Amazing! Thank you so much for trying this recipe, I am so glad it turned out well for you! xxT
The Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes with Caramelized Onions was an absolute hit, surpassing all expectations. The flavors were incredibly deep and indulgent, setting this dish apart from others we’ve made in the past. Sautéing the onions in white wine brought a surprising and delightful complexity, one that definitely earned some raised eyebrows and approving nods around the table. We experimented with a twice-baked method as an in-the-moment inspired variation, and it created those irresistibly crunchy edges that added an entirely new texture – we thought it elevated the dish to a whole new level. Thank you for sharing this masterpiece—it’s one we’ll surely be making again and again!
Hi Michael,
Wonderful! Thanks a lot for trying this dish and your feedback, love to hear it turned out well! Have a beautiful Sunday! xx
I feel like this is a dumb question but the wine gets cooked out right? I’m paranoid while breastfeeding!
And do I absolutely need it for the recipe? Or can it be skipped?
Hi Amanda,
Yes, it does, but you can always use broth in place of the wine. I hope this helps! xx
Wonderful thank you!!!
Milk curdled, seemed to be too much liquid in general. It was tasty but didn’t look very appetizing.
I’d recommend making a quick bechemel – don’t let it thicken too much – and follow the recipe with that instead of the milk and cream mixture (then layer the Gruyère cheese in on top of the bechemel.)
Hi Issa,
Thanks so much for trying this dish and your comment, so sorry to hear your milk curdled. Glad it was tasty though! Happy New Year!🥳🥂 xx